00 / Verbs & Tenses
Past simple of 'to be'
The past simple of 'to be' describes states, locations, or identities in the past. It uses two forms, 'was' and 'were', depending on the subject.
A1Beginner
01 / Overview
The verb to be changes in the past simple to show that a situation is finished. Unlike most verbs, it does not use 'did' for questions or negatives. It describes how people felt, where they located, or what their jobs were in the past.
02 / Form
Subject + was/were (+ not)
The form depends on the subject of the sentence. Use was for singular subjects (I, he, she, it) and were for plural subjects and 'you' (you, we, they).
03 / Was vs. Were
In questions, move the verb to the start of the sentence: Was he happy? or Were they at home?
| Subject | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| I, He, She, It | was | was not (wasn't) |
| You, We, They | were | were not (weren't) |
04 / Examples
05 / Common mistakes
They was at the cinema.
They were at the cinema.
Always use 'were' with plural subjects like 'they'.
Did you were at home?
Were you at home?
Do not use 'did' with the past simple of 'to be'.
06 / Practice
Complete the sentence: We ____ (be) at the beach last Sunday.
Show answer
Answer: were
Why: The subject 'we' is plural, so it requires the form 'were'.
Make this sentence a question: It was cold yesterday.
Show answer
Answer: Was it cold yesterday?
Why: To form a question with 'to be', move the verb 'was' to the beginning of the sentence.
Change to negative: She was at work.
Show answer
Answer: She was not at work. / She wasn't at work.
Why: Add 'not' after 'was' to make the sentence negative.